Orthopedic article of footwear



Feb. 20, 1962 w. M. scHoLl.

ORTHOPEDIC ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR Original Filed Nov. l5. 1957 '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 20, 1962 w. M. scHoLL. 3,021,846

ORTHOPEDIC ARTICLE oF FOOTWEAR Original Filed Nov` 13, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1962 w. M. scl-loLl. 3,021,846

ORTHOPEDIC ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR Original Filed Nov. 13, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 3,021,546 GRTHPEDIC ARTCLE GF FQOTWEAR William M. Scholl, 211-213 W. Schler St., Chicago, ill.

Original application Nov. 13, 1957, Ser. No. 696,274, now Patent No. 2,917,757, dated Dec. 22, 1959. Divided and this appiication Sept. 11, 1959, der. No. 839,4ti6

Claims. (Ci. 12S-595) This invention relates to improvements in an orthopedic article of footwear, the invention being highly desirable for use by a chropodist or other foot specialist in the comfortable and proper fitting of feet afflicted, deformed, partially amputated, or having some other temporary or permanent addiction, the article of footwear being individually litted to a particular foot by the specialist at the time of purchase, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

This application is a division of my copending application entitled Method of Fitting an Orthopedic Article of Footwear tiled November 13, 1957, Serial No. 696,274, issued December 22, 1959, Patent No. 2,917,757.

In the past, where a patient had a deformed, afflicted, partially amputated, or otherwise impaired foot, it was customary to have shoes made to order or specially built to acquire a proper fit for that particular foot. Such, of course, was a highiy and sometimes prohibitively expensive procedure, frequently resulting in a patient utilizing a more economical pair of footwear', suffering discomfort, aggravating the affliction, or causing the patient to walk in an awkward or unnatural manner. In most cases, where specially designed shoes were utilized, it was frequently necessary to make a complete cast of the patients foot, and then form a last from that cast and build the shoe around that last. In no instance of which I am aware was an orthopedic shoe provided in which a portion or" the shoe could be initially shaped, and then utilized as a mold pan for an impression which remained in the portion after it was replaced in the shoe.

The instant invention seeks to overcome the foregoing disadvantages in the provision of an economical orthopedic shoe capable of being fitted to an individual foot contemporaneously with the time of purchase.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of an orthopedic shoe or the like with a removable insert or inlay made of material that may be readily carved, fashioned, or Sculptured to intimately lit an individual foot.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an orthopedic shoe or the like having a removable insert with a relatively high bounding edge, whereby that insert itself may be utilized as a molding pan to take an impression of a particular foot in some moldable materialwhich thereafter remains in the inlay when it is replaced in the shoe.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a relatively thick removable inlay in an orthopedic shoe or the like, with the upper of the shoe being built higher than is customary in order to give the appearance of the ordinary dressv shoe, the insert being usable as a pan in which to mold impression material which remains on the insert after it is replaced in the shoe.

Still another object of the instant invention resides in the provision of an orthopedic shoe or the like having an upper slightly higher than usual to accommodate an insert with molded impression material thereon, the upper being lower at the top on the outer side than on the inner side, to better accommodate the outer ankle bone.

4 While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will be apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of a shoe embodying principles of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse Vvertical sectional View, taken substantially as indicated by the line II-II of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FG. 3 is also a transverse Vertical sectional View, taken substantially as indicated by the line III-Iii of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view illustrating a possible preliminary treatment of the insert or inlay removed from the shoe, prior to the taking of a foot impression;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken substantially centrally through the removed inlay or insert, showing the same provided with material for the taking of an impression of the foot;

FiG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of the removed insert or inlay and indicating the manner in which the impression of the foot may be taken;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section through the completed insert or inlay after it has been conformed to the patients foot;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the structure of FIG. 7; and y FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially as indicated by the line IX-IX of FIG. 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is a shoe or similar article of footwear,` particularly designed for sale by a chiropodist or other foot specialist, and the shoe is intimately litted to a particular foot contemporaneously with the purchase of the shoe. The shoe is not designed for general sale in a shoestore, but is one that may be altered contemporaneously with the purchaseV thereof by a skilled operator, such as a chiropodist 'or foot specialist, whereby the purchaser has a proper t regardless of the afliictions or deformity of his particular foot, and need not go to the expense and delay of having a specially built pair of shoes made for him.

The shoe itself has the appearance of an ordinary dress shoe of the conventional type, but there is sufcient difference in the construction of the shoe to permit the individual fitting of the shoe to a particular foot. After the shoe has been properly tted to an individual foot, the wearer may use it without embarrassment, since it would require expert inspection to determine that the shoe was specially fitted and orthopedic in character.

Conditions for which the instant invention is indicated include the following: foot strain, hallux valgus, enlarged sesamoids, dropped metatarsal heads, arthritic or enlarged joints, tailors bunion, longitudinal arch weakness, corns, calluses, excrescences on plantar surface, heel,

spur, forefoot and metatarsal imbalances, pes cavus, leg shortage, partial amputations, etc.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is a shoe of the low-cut or oxford type, and comprises a laminated outer sole made of any suitable material, but in the illustrated instance, the outer sole consists of 'a bottom tap 1 which may be crepe rubber or the like, an elevating tap 2 in the rear portion to elevate the heel, and which may be of sponge rubber or other suitable material, and an inner or upper tap 3 of solid sheet rubber, leather, or the like. A welt 4 may be secured to the outer sole by stitching in a known manner, and this welt is also stitched to a structural insole disposed over the usual iiiier o. An upper 7 is secured in position by the same abaisse 3 seam that joins the welt with the structural insole. Outside of a. change in the upper to be later described, the shoe so far ldescribed is of known construction, and other known Ways of connecting the outer sole and the upper may equally as well be utilized.

Inside the shoe is a removable insert or inlay, generally indicated by numeral S, and which functions as the insole and is thicker than the ordinary structural insole consisting of a single thin sheet of material utilized in commonly known shoes or the like. The inlay may be made extra thick for fitting purposes, if so desired, and in that event the shoe upper 7 is made 'additionally higher than usual along the sides and around the toe portion thereof, so as to accommodate the thicker inlay and still have the shoe present the appearance of a commonly seen shoe to the ordinary observer. In order to better fit the foot, and particularly to Iaccommodate the outer ankle bone of a user in a comfortable manner, the upper is preferably cut lower at the top on the outer side of the ankle region than on the inner side, as indicated by numeral 10. By way of example, the upper may be as much as 'O's of an inch lower on the outer side than on the inner side so that the outer ankle bone may freely extend over the upper without discomfort.

In order to acquire a properly sized upper to accommodate the inlay 8, particularly if the same is thick, the shoe is preferably lasted around the inlay during the construction of the shoe. In other words, the inlay is initially made a part of the last, in effect, and the shoe built entirely around it.

The inlay 8 may be made of any suitable material that can readily b e carved, Sculptured, or otherwise fashioned by the use of easily manipulatable abrasive or cutting tools. One satisfactory substance for the inlay is cork, and the inlay may be made of compressed ground cork and cement, latex, plastic, or equivalent material preferably molded in one piece.

As initially provided with the shoe, the inlay includes a thick body portion 11, and this body portion may or may not be provided with a denser under layer 12, which is, of course, much thinner than the `body portion 11 of the inlay. In many cases the body portion will be partially removed during the fitting of the insole to la particular foot, and less frequently, the under layer l2 may be ground or cut away in certain locations dependent upon the particular foot being fitted.

Preferably, the insert is so shaped Vas to have a relatively high ybounding edge entirely therearound, as indicated `at 13. This enables the inlay to be used as a mold pan when an impression is taken of the foot. Prior to utilizing the inlay as a mold pan, it is preferable to cement a sheet of aluminum foil or equivalent material 14 to the upper surface of the inlay, such sheet being smooth so as to precisely follow the contours in the upper face of the inlay. This sheet functions as a non-absorbent base for a moldable substance or compound 15, which when set, firmly attaches itself to the surface of the sheet 14.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, a finished or fitted insert or inlay is illustrated, and it will -be seen that the inlay contains 'a quantity of set or hardened compound 15 in keeping with the particular foot to which the device was fitted. After a proper fit is established, it is preferable to provide a thin smooth cover layer 16 of light leather, monks cloth, or other equivalent material which may be cemented to the shaped inlay, and is preferably intimately fitted so that it accurately follows all the contours on the upper face of the inlay.

As stated above, the insert or inlay 8 is not cemented or otherwise secured Within the shoe, as it is provided uo'th the shoe initially, and it is not necessary to cement or secure that inlay within the shoe after it has been provided with the compound 15 and otherwise shaped for intimately fitting a particular foot. It is sutlicient to merely place the completed inlay in the shoe, because it tits the shoe so linely by virtue of the shoe `being lasted therearound, that it will not change shape or position during use. This provides the 4advantage of being able to remove the inlay from the shoe at any time desired, and thus effect a reshaping of the inlay as may be desired if the foot ailiiction is improving `by virtue of use of the inlay.

While the method of fitting the shoe to the individual foot of a patient is fully described and claimed in my aforesaid copending application, reference to that method is made herein in order to better present and make more understandable the instant invention and the advantages derived from it. The method may vary through a Wide range of individual steps, anda satisfactory and usually preferred course of procedure will be described. It will 1be apparent to one skilled in the art that certain steps so described will not always be necessary, and in certain instances additional steps might be required, the procedure being dependent to a reasonable extent in regard to specilic operations indicated by the individual foot being fitted.

The particular inlay is iirst removed from the article of footwear, and the patients bare foot is placed on that inlay to make certain that the size and width of the inlay are correct. The inlay may then be marked with chalk or equivalent material to denote points where allowance is to be made for bony prominences on the foot, such as enlarged sesamoids, tailors bunion, dropped metatarsal heads, hallux valgus, hammer toes, etc., and for other alictions where pressure elimination is required.

Now if any such marks were made on the inlay, pocka ets may then be ground out of the inlay at the points marked, as seen in FIG. 4, lby utilizing a suitable burr 17 carried on the end of an oice drill 1S, or with other equivalent apparatus. The device may be held in the hand of the operator as shown, during this operation, and should the cut away portion 19 be larger than originally intended, the molding compound to be later described will fill it in so that ultimately the prominence or other afhiction of the foot will be properly fitted. In FIG. 4, I have illustrated the inlay as comprising only one piece 11, without the aforesaid denser under layer 12, merely to indicate that that particular under layer is not necessary unless it is desired for some purpose.

Now =with reference to FIG. 5, it will be seen that after a recess such as 19, or more of them, is ground in the inlay, the aforesaid sheet of aluminum foil or equivalent material is preferably cemented to the upper Surface of the inlay `and formed intimately thereto by the fingers of the operator. This sheet 14 may be trimmed with scissors or the like to allow an overlap 20 entirely around the inlay, and a satisfactory length for this overlap is approxi mately 1/2 inch. As shown in FIG. 5, the overlap is pref erably pressed down tight against the bounding edge' of the inlay.

The molding compound is then prepared and this may satisfactorily be a mixture of cork our or ground cork, wood flour or fine sawdust, and ground rubber, although other mixtures as will be apparent to one skilled in the art might equally as well be used. This mixture is then mixed in any suitable vessel with a quantity of liquid latex or equivalent material until the compound has a relatively stiff but spreadable consistency, substantially that of peanut butter. Using a spatula or equivalent tool, the mixed compound is then applied to the inlay on top of the sheet 14 to provide the aforesaid applied compound 15. In applying the mixed compound, it is preferable to apply a little at a time, smoothing it away from the center sol that the outside edge 13 of the inlay acts as a scraper. Usually 'e716 of an inch is suliicient for the forward part of the inlay, and .a -thickness of approximately l/ inch for the heel 4and arch part, but such thicknesses may obviously be varied to suit the requirements of the particular foot. Corrections may be built up by adding more of the compound at specific locations, and it is well to apply a little extra compound at the point coinciding with the ridge of the metatarsophalangcal joints.

Next, the soft but spread compound is preferably covered with a relatively thin and impervious plastic film or sheet as indicated a-t 2l in FTG. 6, leaving ample overlap -as indicated at 22. The inlay is next placed upon the oor, with the heel portion thereof resting upon a temporary heel block 23, Iand with the patient iseated and the leg perpendicular to the floor, the foot is carefully placed on the inlay in the position the foot will assume in the finished article of footwear, as indicated in FIG. 6, the foot being indicated at 24. After making sure tha the heel is in correct position, pressure is exerted downwardly on the patients knee to seat the heel of the foot in the heel cup of the inlay. The patient is then assisted to a standing position, keeping the weigh-t mostly on the other foot, and the patient is then caused to simulate a walking step by iiexing his knees, without raising the heel of the foot under treatment from the inlay. Now with the patient standing upright, pressure is exerted firmly in a downward direction on the toes and forepart ofthe foot so as to properly position each toe on the inlay.

With the patient reseated, and the foot still on the inlay, inspection may be made to determine that the inlay properly conforms to the foot, `and any smoothing-out adjustments that may appear necessary may then be made, with particular regard to the distal ends of the toes, so as to permit the toes to elongate. The foot may then be removed, the sheet 22 elevated, and a spatula run Varound the edge of the inlay to trim off the excess mold compound.

The inlay for the other foot may then be prepared in similar manner, and after both molds or inlays are made, the sheets 22 are carefully removed and the inlays put aside to dry.

After approximately 24 hours, the molds will have dried to quite an extent, but will still be pliable, and when the patient returns, substantially 24 hours after the first visit, the marginal portion Ztl of the foil sheet is trimmed ofi" so that the sheet is iiush with the edge 13 of the inlay as seen in FG. 7. The two molds may then be covered with a sheet 22, placed in a pair of yshoes or the like, and the patient may walk around with them in use for fifteen to twenty minutes, to create perfectly balanced molds. At this time, if necessary, the sheets 22 may be removed and minor `adjustments made to each mold.

When the molds t the feet exactly, the sheets 22 are removed, and the cover 16 cemented over the upper face of each mold. After this cement, which is preferably quick-drying, has set, the cover i6 may be trimmed to be iiush with the upper edge of the inlay. The inlays m-ay then be placed back in the shoes, and the patient may walk in them for la time to m-ake the cover i6 conform precisely to the contours and indentations of the mold.

The molds may be then pnt aside for complete hardening, and should then be ready for continuous use, although some operators may prefer a further inspection. It should also be noted that some specialists may apply the cover i6 immediately rather than utilize the sheet 22, but such does not give the freedom of adjusting the mold or inlay during its preparation, as the process described above does.

Of course, when the mold is placed within the shoe or other article of footwear, the temporary heel block 23 is eliminated.

Now looking a-t FIGS. 8 and 9, I have illustrated `a com pleted mold which allows for dropped rst Iand fifth metatarsal heads and also for an amputation of the fourth and fifth toes. With reference particularly to FIG. 9,

6 it will be noted that the compound 15 is' elevated as' at 25 in front of the fourth and fifth toe stubs.

In the oase of a sandal or similar article of footwear, the inlay 11 is preferably built into the sandal las a part thereof. Accordingly, it is then preferable to turn back the straps of the sandal and buckle them underneath the outer sole, possible, or in some' other manner retain them turned away from the inlay so that the same is free to function as :a mold pan. The same general operation of conforming each inlay to the foot of the wearer is followed as above described, with the exception that the foil layer is preferably eliminated, and the mold compound is applied directly to the upper face of the inlay 11. Also, during the initial impression into the soft mold compound, the straps are preferably buckled around the patients foot.

With the instant invention it will be especial-ly noted that if the patient does not have a permanent disability or deformity of the foot, but does have an afiliction that will respond to treatment and gradually improve, the inlay may be adjusted to compensate for the improvement at substantially any desired time. More mold compound may lbe -added and fashioned to the insole to compensate for a reduction in size of the afliiction, and various other adjustments made so that as the afiiiction improves, it -is not necessary to purchase new articles of footwear periodically, but the first pair may be utilized until they are worn out.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that 'I have provided an orthopedic article of footwear that is extremely economical in comparison with shoes made to order for special purposes, and which may be readily and easily fitted to any particular individual foot substantially regardless of the condition of the foot, and which gives the appearance of the commonly seen dress shoe when worn. Obviously, the instant invention enables the p-atient to walk in as close to a natural manner as possible, and at the same time provides the comfort and benefit of a correct fitting article of footwear.` It will, of course, be

understood that the instant invention is not limited to a" shoe, but may be utilized in substantially any article of footwear such as sandals, slippers, high top shoes or boots, sport shoes, etc. And herein and in the appended claims the term shoe is to be deemed an all-inclusive term of various types of footwear.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

i claim as my invention:

l. An orthopedic shoe of the oxford type including an outer sole and an upper connected to said sole, a thick orthopedic inlay including a material on its upper face molded to conform it to an individual foot and serving as the insole for the shoe, said upper being higher than the standard for the particular size of shoe so as to accommodate the foot above said thick insole inlay, and said upper being lower on the outer side than on the inner side to accommodate the outer ankle bone of said foot.

2. An orthopedic shoe including an outer sole, an upper connected to said sole, an inlay freely disposed in said shoe, said inlay having a high bounding edge to ena-ble it to function initially as a moulding pan, and a set cornpound in and secured t-o said inlay and conformed to an individual foot, said inlay and said set compound as a unit serving as the insole of the shoe.

3. An orthopedic shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein a thin sheet of non-absorbent material is secured to the upper face of said inlay under said set compound.

4. An orthopedic shoe as defined in claim 2, wherein said inlay comprises compressed ground cork.

5. An orthopedic shoe as defined in claim 2 wherein 7 8 said inlay comprises ground cork, and said set compound 2,092,910 Daniels Sept. 14, 1937 comprises a hardened mass of cork our, Wood flour and 2,417,852 Zerkle Mar. 25, 1947 latex. 2,589,241 Galhouse et al. Mar. 18, 1952 2,742,657 Sloane Apr. 24, 1956 References Cited in the le of thisY patent 5 2,794,270 Dubner June 4l 1957 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,008,207 Greenberg July 16, 1935 

